This is what Obamacare is going to do to our lives

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opelgt1969

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opelgt1969
Alone with this I believe hospitals will incress their prices even more!

Florida Restaurateur to Impose Surcharge for ObamaCare

By Joshua Rhett Miller | Fox Business – 23 hours ago





  • Yahoo! Finance/Justin Sullivan/Getty Images - Denny's


Get ready to pay more for your Grand Slam.

A Florida restaurateur who operates roughly 40 Denny’s locations and five Hurricane Grill & Wings franchises in Florida, Virginia and Georgia intends to add a 5 percent surcharge to customers’ bills to offset costs from ObamaCare beginning in January 2014 when the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented.

“People are trying to find ways to avoid the penalties and to avoid having to pay for ObamaCare,” John Metz told FoxNews.com. “Everyone’s looking for a way to not have to provide insurance for their employees. It’s essentially a huge tax on all us business people.”

To further offset the costs, Metz, who oversees roughly 1,200 employees as president and CEO of RREMC Restaurants, LLC, said he also will slash most of the staff's time to fewer than 30 hours per week. That change will be announced to employees next month, he said.

“I want to explain it to everybody, to let them know what’s coming down the pike,” he said. “We like to keep our employees informed.”

The changes will force some front-of-the-house employees to look for second jobs, Metz said, but he simply cannot afford the penalties associated with ObamaCare.

“It’s a great concept,” he said. “We want to have everyone insured. The problem is, who is going to pay for it and how are we going to accomplish this?”

Under the current law, employers with more than 50 full-time (or equivalent) workers will be charged a penalty for the number of employees exceeding 30 full-time staffers who are not covered. With an average of 35 full-time employees per location, Metz said the $2,000 penalty would total roughly $70,000 per restaurant. Current coverage costs Metz up to $6,000 annually per full-time employee, he said. He currently provides coverage to about 250 employees.

“It’s going to be a big issue for all of us — for my employees and for me,” said Metz, who has been in the industry since 1975. “The ones that are working more than 28 hours, they’re going to act as if I’m cutting their hours and they’ll have to find another job.”

At Denny’s restaurants operated by Metz, the average check is $9, he said, meaning the ObamaCare surcharge if implemented would be 45 cents on that bill. At Hurricane Grill & Wings locations, where the average bill is $14.50, the surcharge would total 72 cents.

Metz said he believes the entire restaurant industry — even high-end locations — will ultimately embrace the idea.

“That is what I foresee and that is the easier, least painful way to deal with these added costs,” he said. “In a true playing field, everybody will impose this, from McDonald’s to Denny’s to even maybe the fine dining restaurants in order to have the funds to be able to pay for either insurance or the penalty for not providing insurance to their employees.”

Metz also is urging his employees to consider contacting their local elected officials in hopes of finding another solution to offset his looming increased costs.

“It’s never good news, but it is what it is,” Metz said of increasing customers’ checks. “We really should look for a better or different way to pay for [ObamaCare]. I think what we’re going to ultimately see here is a European-type system where we have a value added tax or a national sales tax.”

Metz continued: “I have a choice: try to live within the rules, or go out of business.”

In a statement to FoxNews.com, the National Restaurant Association said it’s “premature” to assess precisely how the health care law will affect individual businesses.

“We have warned for some time that the mechanics of the health care law are very difficult for the restaurant industry, which is a low-margin industry that works to keep costs down in order to provide value to customers,” said Scott DeFife, executive vice president of policy and government affairs for the National Restaurant Association. “All costs, from gas and commodities to labor and insurance, eventually impact the price on the menu. It is important that operators get very familiar with the provisions of the law and start planning for its implementation; however, it’s premature to make a specific assessment of exactly how the law will affect any individual business because there are so many details that are unknown.”
 
It's nothing more then a tax. Anything short of a free market system without silly government regulation will not satisfy me in the least bit.

What do I know though, I never see a doctor :lol:
 
Granted I'm aware that Obamacare will cost a lot, I'm also guessing that businesses are using it as a convenient excuse to jack prices up.
 
That's not a fault of Obamacare, it's a fault of the business owners.
And 45 or 72 cents more, come on. Who the hell cares, seriously.
 
The customers should pay for it, or the company makes less profit.
Maybe not too bad if people have to pay more for fast food anyway. *cough*
 
I don't see a problem with businesses increasing prices in order to provide their employees healthcare.

So when a food service place starts charging $20 for a $10 meal it's going to be OK. The man that owns the building has to get his share, the company that supplies the food has to get their share, the company that process's the food has to get their share, the man that grows the food tries to get a fair share. So where will it end!
 
ShobThaBob
I don't see a problem with businesses increasing prices in order to provide their employees healthcare.

Businesses cutting employee hours and raising prices is the way to kickstart our economy right out of this recession, especially with the very real prospect of a double-dip recession if/when we go off the financial cliff 👍
 
Businesses cutting employee hours and raising prices is the way to kickstart our economy right out of this recession, especially with the very real prospect of a double-dip recession if/when we go off the financial cliff 👍

Have you taken a look at the market recently? We're doing quite well and are a far cry from the recession we were in 5 years ago. Businesses across the board are showing great profits. If those profits dip in order to provide employees with healthcare, then that's a good thing IMO. Instead of complaining about people being forced to have healthcare, instead focus on the rising costs of healthcare which are completely divorced from what this thread is talking about.

Also, I dunno if you guys have been to Applebees, Black Eyed Pea, TGI Fridays or whatnot, but that food is completely foul and worth maybe a dollar more than basic fast food on a good day. Denny's and their microwaved garbage honestly makes me sick just thinking about it. You're already paying far more for the quality of food you're getting. Think about that.
 
ShobThaBob
Have you taken a look at the market recently? We're doing quite well and are a far cry from the recession we were in 5 years ago. Businesses across the board are showing great profits. If those profits dip in order to provide employees with healthcare, then that's a good thing IMO. Instead of complaining about people being forced to have healthcare, instead focus on the rising costs of healthcare which are completely divorced from what this thread is talking about.
Most international markets have posted losses for 2 weeks straight now, let alone the Dow. And our economic growth has barely been 2% a year for several years now, which is less than half the rate expected given the size of the recession the we are supposedly coming out of, so saying the we are doing "quite well" is quite a stretch. And the prospect of the financial cliff isn't making things better.

I agree that rising healthcare costs are an issue, but a not insignificant portion of those rising costs are due to needing to meet increasingly stringent federal regulations, and having to deal with increasingly complex Medicare coverage issues. Many practices are now dropping all DSHS/Medicare patients because they can not afford to continue treating them, due to the issues with reimbursement and provider compliance.
The whole system needs reform, but the Affordable Care Act isn't really the right direction.

ShobThaBob
Also, I dunno if you guys have been to Applebees, Black Eyed Pea, TGI Fridays or whatnot, but that food is completely foul and worth maybe a dollar more than basic fast food on a good day. Denny's and their microwaved garbage honestly makes me sick just thinking about it. You're already paying far more for the quality of food you're getting. Think about that.
Yeah, its disgusting. However, that doesn't mean they don't deserve to make a profit. The entire restaurant industry runs very low margins (compared to other industries) so its not like the Denny's people are making huge margins (compared to other corporate executives) off this trash.
 
The customers should pay for it, or the company makes less profit.
Maybe not too bad if people have to pay more for fast food anyway. *cough*

I don't see a problem with businesses increasing prices in order to provide their employees healthcare.
I do see a problem with it. I don't know those people working there and I'll be damned if I'm going to pay for their healthcare against my will.
 
Well, you (as a company I mean) could also keep current prices, wages etc. without any issues. But then the management would have to make less money and we all know this will never happen.
 
At Denny’s restaurants operated by Metz, the average check is $9, he said, meaning the ObamaCare surcharge if implemented would be 45 cents on that bill. At Hurricane Grill & Wings locations, where the average bill is $14.50, the surcharge would total 72 cents.
First world problems, eh?
 
Have you taken a look at the market recently? We're doing quite well and are a far cry from the recession we were in 5 years ago. Businesses across the board are showing great profits. If those profits dip in order to provide employees with healthcare, then that's a good thing IMO. Instead of complaining about people being forced to have healthcare, instead focus on the rising costs of healthcare which are completely divorced from what this thread is talking about.

The problem is that those profits are not translating into increases in wages - they're going to shareholders and CEOs.

I do see a problem with it. I don't know those people working there and I'll be damned if I'm going to pay for their healthcare against my will.

What does it matter if you know them?

Besides which, simply vote with your wallet and eat elsewhere—like you're supposed to, under the miracle that is [post/quasi-]capitalism.

Edit: omg the OP began this with a Fox news extract /dead
 
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Well, you (as a company I mean) could also keep current prices, wages etc. without any issues.
What if my profit margins are tight and I really can't keep current prices? I'm a business, man, I'm not going to risk going under over health insurance. What I'm going to do is look for inefficiencies in my system, and since employee costs/payroll is probably my biggest expense by a wide margin I'm going to cut inefficiencies from that first. That means getting rid of less productive people at less productive locations.

What does it matter if you know them?

Besides which, simply vote with your wallet and eat elsewhere—like you're supposed to, under the miracle that is [post/quasi-]capitalism.
It doesn't matter if I know them. Even if I did I still would refuse to pay for their healthcare.

Shopping around isn't going to solve the problem, the problem being ridiculous government overreach into private business and health matters.
 
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ShobThaBob
Have you taken a look at the market recently? We're doing quite well and are a far cry from the recession we were in 5 years ago. Businesses across the board are showing great profits. If those profits dip in order to provide employees with healthcare, then that's a good thing IMO.

Oh yes we were better off with 4.7% unemployment than we are now. Bush spent like we had never before seen but Obama makes him look like a super penny pincher.

I guess Hostess missed out on all those profits you speak of.
 
Shopping around isn't going to solve the problem, the problem being ridiculous government overreach into private business and health matters.

Then let them go out of business and allow capitalism to work as it should; eventually, they'll all go out of business, or more people will be driven to the remaining restaurants, and the problem will self-correct either way.

Have you no faith in precious capitalism?
 
Just as soon as the big government gets out of the way, hopefully the whole thing fails and people will finally realize what it means to have some personal responsibility. Mean while...

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Then let them go out of business and allow capitalism to work as it should; eventually, they'll all go out of business, or more people will be driven to the remaining restaurants, and the problem will self-correct either way.

Have you no faith in precious capitalism?


I lean more toward this kind of argument. I don't have any answers, and I don't really know how or what will happen as a result of Obamacare, but I feel that when imbalance occurs it becomes evident and things sort themselves out, whether it's in a free market or not.
 
Wow, a guy at Fox News is right? Surely no bias there. Why wouldn't you want to help those that cannot help themselves?

If R1600Turbo was cruising the Ring late one night, got cut off by a guy in a Vettel, rage quit, hopped up, walked to his kitchen and slipped on a Twinkie, all after loosing his job the day before by telling his boss XBox is not as good as PS3, then why would you not want to help him?
 
This is like some businesses in australia that charged people more and said it was due to the "Carbon Tax"

I am sure your consumer protection group will slam them for doing this.
 
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Grayfox
This is like come businesses in australia that charged people more and said it was due to the "Carbon Tax"

I am sure your consumer protection group will slam them for doing this.

...and the government watchdog will investigate and fine them. They can up their prices for the carbon tax as long as the amount matches the costs.
 
If R1600Turbo was cruising the Ring late one night, got cut off by a guy in a Vettel, rage quit, hopped up, walked to his kitchen and slipped on a Twinkie, all after loosing his job the day before by telling his boss XBox is not as good as PS3, then why would you not want to help him?

:lol: :lol: That is great.

Seriously though, everyone should want to help not only him, but anyone that finds themselves in that situation.

There have been other threads about this and it seems to me the general consensus among people, as myself, who are against obamadon'tcare all agree that we don't ever want to see someone in need cast aside. We, or I, simply do not think the gov is needed in such an obtrusive and probably damaging way.
 
The problem is that those profits are not translating into increases in wages - they're going to shareholders and CEOs.

No increase in wages, but healthcare continuing to be provided in some fashion, whether it be from a governmental institution or insurance from work, is a big deal. The rest of the comments in this thread gave me one hell of a hearty laugh, especially the Romney one. That's good stuff.
 
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